REVOLTING CASE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1498, 22 July 1912, Page 4

REVOLTING CASE.

THE BROKEN HOME,

CHILDREN'S PATHETIC PLIGHT. (By Telenraph.—Press Association.', Christchurch, July 20. At tho Juvenile Court this woruingv three boys, aged 13, 10, ami G years respectively, were' charged with not being under proper control. Mr. C. T. A.schmau, headmaster of the Normal School, gave evidence nb to their altemliuvco at school without boots or stockings. He had witu them picking tiioir way to school with tho frosty nir biting their lxue raw feel, and on more than oncMiccasioiL they had to havo I heir numbed foot thawed at school. Miss lugpeii, a kiudergurlcii teacher, said that tnc children's left wore mora like lumps of raw meat than anything, else. One of them had had weals on his legs which ho had informed her were caused through his father thrashing him. Tho children were also vow-, very dirly. Detcctivu Gibson tilid that Ulo l»ys' mother had divorced the father Mine time ago, and he believed that she was now liv- | ins .in Auckland. The father had married again to n woman who was also a divorcee. 'The stepmother's own children (also residing with the family) were well looked alter. Tho father had two motor-cars mid two or three houses, and his lxjsideiico was comiedwl with the telephone. His Worship: What is his occupation? Detective Gibson: A plasterer. His Worship: How can ho keep two motor-ce.rs? Detective Gibson: I do not know. Continuing, Detective Gibson said (hat they had taken the woman's children, witli ono exception, from her eomo time ago. Tliis other child was woll nourished, and looked offer, and heated altogetlrsr differently from tho other children. Tho condition of the children had been reported to him some time before the disappearance of a boy—another member of the family. Chief lJeteclivo Bishop said that apart from the recent disappearance of one of the children, tho matter would still havo been brought before his Worship. Tho father of the children said that ho was a. plasterer. His first wife had divorc. Ed him about fifteen months ago. Ho had paid her tho money to ret tho divorce, and he had then married the woman whom he had since been living with. He knew that some of her children had boon taken, . fiom her. Sho hod ono child with her when he married her, and tho other children had been looked after in exactly tho same way as her own child. His Worship: Well, if that is tho case that child ought to bo before mo now also. Look at those children now. Tho t'other: I bought them boots, but they chucked them into tho range. I could not keep on buying them ljc-ots. In reply to a further question, the father said tho boys had all had a wash on Wednesday, His Worship: And their clothes were washed for the last, time last year? I don't boliovo you! They're a disgrace to anyone!

Chief Detective Bishop, to the father: You've got two motor-oars and a lot of property. Tho father: It is mortgaged. •His Worship: Tho possession of property does not imply a duo reuse of morality, or looking after children. The wholo tiling smells horribly badly. In reply to Miss Ingpen's statement, the man suid that the furthest ho had gona in punishing tho boys was in strapping their hands. The weals which appeared on one of tho boy's legs had not been inilictetl by him. Ho had.tried to get them to go to Sunday school, but they would not go. Albert Lawrence tendered evidence, on the father's behalf. In reply to questions, ho said that ho was employed in driving a cart for the father, and he was 18 years of ago. He .had never had any objection to tho treatment of the children, lie was a relation of the'stepmother. His Worship: Stand down! I prefer to trust tho evidence for tho polico to that of nn irresponsible youth of 18. His Worship ordered tho children to bo committed to tho Christclmrch Receiving Home, to bo brought up in the faith of tho Church of England.. Ho also asked Mr. Aschman to report to tho police similar caees that came under'his notice; •'".'